Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Sunday he would not yield to Hezbollah’s pressure and would continue pushing for the group’s disarmament, while stopping short of calling for an internal confrontation.
In an interview with Saudi channel Al-Hadath, Salam struck a defiant tone toward the Iran-backed terrorist organization, which has refused to comply with government directives to relinquish its weapons.
“I will not submit to its coercion,” Salam said. “I informed the army commander and the government of my refusal to yield.”
He added that concentrating all weapons under state control has become more urgent following the cost of what he described as Hezbollah’s “support war.”
“Hezbollah’s threats will not intimidate us,” Salam said. “They are meant to prevent us from questioning the reasons for our current situation. We will not reverse the government’s decisions to centralize weapons.”
Hezbollah joined the fighting against Israel despite objections from Salam and President Joseph Aoun, and both leaders have since sharpened their rhetoric against the group. Israeli officials, however, have accused the Lebanese government of failing to take concrete steps to enforce its commitments to disarm Hezbollah.
Referring to the previous war with Hezbollah, which ended in a ceasefire in November 2024, Salam said the conflict had been imposed on Lebanon.
“We had hoped those who dragged us into war would act rationally before taking another risk,” he said. “The war was forced on Lebanon. It was not our choice.”
Salam also reiterated that Lebanon remains open to direct negotiations with Israel, a potentially historic shift that has yet to receive a positive response from Jerusalem.
“The initiative to hold negotiations with Israel still exists from our side,” he said. “We have dropped the idea of prohibiting talks with Israel.”
According to Salam, any such negotiations would focus on a ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. He said efforts are underway to form a national delegation to conduct the talks.
Salam also addressed Iranian involvement in Lebanon, saying members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are operating in the country using forged passports.
“The decision to expel the Revolutionary Guards from Lebanon is being implemented,” he said. “They are in Lebanon illegally and are leading military operations.”
He added that Lebanon would not allow its territory to be used again as a platform for attacks against Arab states, and said Hezbollah operatives carrying weapons have been detained.
Despite the government’s declarations, its ban on Hezbollah’s military activity has yet to be enforced on the ground, underscoring the limits of state authority over the powerful armed group.